The Ethical and Aesthetical Dimension of Figurative
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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS SYMBOLIC INTERACTION ETHICAL AND AESTHETICAL MESSAGE IN FIGURATIVE CALLIGRAPHY PAINTING A. Symbolic Interaction Through Figurative Calligraphy Painting Arabic calligraphy has been pioneering the way of knowledge, as well as writing in all languages.1 Although, calligraphy developed in various forms and cover a wide range of function and areas that are not directly connected to al Qur‟an text, there is a relation principally between calligraphy that begin from al Qur‟an context only, and spiritual substance Qur‟an continues to grow in all aspects of Islamic calligraphy. Calligraphy came to occupy a special position in Islam, so it can be referred to as the ancestor visual arts of Islam and has a special position in Islamic civilization.2 Calligraphy is the basic of coupling points and lines in various forms and rhythms that never ceases to stimulate memory (tidhkār or dhizkr) through divine pen. Qalam or pen is the active pole of divine creation that allows realizing the divine archetype hidden in magical repertoire in lawh Al-Mahfudh along with letters and words that are paradigm all over the form of world. The pen is used to write is a direct symbol of Qalam Allah, and calligraphy is the shadow of God‟s calligraphy that wrote the realities in the universe.3 By submitting oneself to the will of God, the artist made himself as a pen in the Hands of God. Artist such as the pen that with it he wrote down the sheets of life as a masterpiece either in form or content. The works were forms of divine incarnation medium, which enables the formation of 1 Kamil Al-Baba, Dinamika Kaligrafi Islam, translator: Drs. D. Sirojuddin AR., (Jakarta: Darul Ulum Press, 1992), p.55. 2 Seyyed Hosein Nasr, Spiritualitas Dan Seni Islam, translator: Drs. Sutejo, (Bandung: IKAPI, 1993), p. 29. 3 Ibid., p. 31. 72 73 norms. The entire of Qur‟an is contained in the surah al-Fatiḥah, and surah al-Fatiḥah is contained in basmalah, and basmalah is contained in ba’, and ba’ is contained in point. Allah is a point. An only person who has relation with source of point that can become a pen in Hand‟s God and a medium to create Islamic calligraphy, which whole of it comes from the source is Supra-individual. In the next development, calligraphy is not only evolved limited to beautiful writing and according to the rules, but it also began to be developed in visual art. The presence of calligraphy painting got various response and reactions, even the often harsh reaction and lead to a declaration of war. That‟s because the artists in painting calligraphy without involving rules pattern “khaṭṭiyah”. The calligrapher assumed that the painters have strayed. This is due to the fact that many of mistakes often found writing letters from lack of caution or lay in their paintings. Either the mistake in putting the point, the less of nibrah, less or more points, therefore feared would create different meaning. Critics on the calligrapher also required, the painter consider them is poor of shades and does not offer a unique idea, because they just stare at the models that have been pioneered by the classical master in Middle East. Certainly, it is patent that they write on plain white paper with black ink. Even when they have to turn to the media that require color, purity letters remain dominant and not susceptible to deformation. Therefore, they were dubbed “just finished the letters” by calligraphy painter. According to the painter, it was very saturating. Thus, need for new and unique ideas to express an idea in a work of art.4 Through calligraphy strokes, Moslem artists interact to the society by the work of art, it is the figurative calligraphy painting with symbolic interaction. They want to convey the message, the religious message. Posts contain praying illustrated in the form of ‘abid is praying. It contains the meaning that human is weak creature and always does wrong. Therefore, 4 Kamil al-Baba, op. cit., p. vii-viii. 74 humans need forgiveness from Allah. Posts of „Ali Ibn Abi Thalib was illustrated in the form of lion. It describes and contains the meaning of braveness and heroism of Ali in defense of Allah religion. The post of “basmalah” in the form of ‘anqa’ bird has the message about raḥmān and Raḥīm of Allah. And the other post of “basmalah” in the form of tughra has the meaning about a wise. Pieces verses of Qur‟an about Prophet Solomon as., in the form of guava fruit that has the meaning the best gift is following Islamic religion. Shahadat was illustrated in the form of ‘abid in taḥiyat. It contains the expression meaning of totally submission to Allah. From the idea and message aspect, the calligraphy painter wants to do interaction to other people through calligraphy painting. In this case, painting calligraphy is one of communication medium between idea of artist and public art. In order to be fast and deep and memorable the public art has religious consciousness quality. The calligraphy painter makes Allah as the inspiration in create the work. That is, what makes them special than other, the beauty that is displayed is an expression of the majesty of Allah is Jamāl wa Kamāl. In other word, their work is an expression of the form of Allah, Perfect in Beauty and Almighty. While self-owned by the calligraphy painter used the figurative symbols that are easily understood by the public art. This is one of the advantages of artist to choose the figurative calligraphy painting, which makes the public art easy to interpret the meaning of that painting. Self of artist appears in the form of ‘abid is praying as the symbol of disability and resignation to Allah, from of lion is the symbol of braveness and heroism, form of ‘anqa bird is symbol of affection of Allah, the form of tughra is the symbol of wisdom, form of guava fruit is the symbol of gift, and form of ‘abid is taḥiyat as the symbol of tawḥid. Simply, through the figurative symbols, although the public art do not know the Arabic writing, they were able to guess the meaning of painting through the figurative symbols. Because, artist used the common figurative symbols which easy to understand. 75 Furthermore, the work can affect the mind and self of society as the public art. Public art will face to symbolic interaction such as: the expression of ‘abid in praying, lion, ‘anqa bird, tughra, guava fruit, and ‘abid is taḥiyat. It is one way the artist invites the public art to interact through figurative calligraphy paintings, in order the mind and self of public art can understand the meaning and message of the painting, especially, the ethics and aesthetics messages in the figurative calligraphy painting. B. Ethical and Aesthetical Message in Classical Figurative Calligraphy Painting 1. The Ethical Moral Message in Classical Figurative Calligraphy Painting According to I Wayan Sadra, the first orientation of artist in the work is value. Value is viewing and believing of something good, beautiful and right. Because value relates to option, thought, and personal acts, so the believing of good, beautiful and right is determined by artist itself. According to him, the good work is the work that was created based on good understanding about the object reality truth for his work. The truth reality is not sense, but essence is spiritual or idea.5 As the author has been explained in the previous chapter about the figurative calligraphy painting, so the moral message in the expressions of figurative calligraphy painting is: a. How to paint Many hadiths are regarding the prohibition of painting. Painting and sculpture were restricted by universal consent to conventional design, because of the association of the forms of 5 Bambang Sunarto, 2010, Etika dan Pertimbangan I Wayan Sadra dalam Penciptaan Karya Seni. retrieved 18 November 2014 from http://bsunarto.blogspot.com/2010/09/etika-dan- pertimbangan-i-wayan-sadra.html?m=1. 76 living creatures with idolatrous worship.6 In the Islamic law, pictures and paintings that were painted in the pieces, such as paper, clothing, walls, floors, and money convicted unclear, because, it has to look at in the first goal, if the painting was shaped something that become a symbol of another religion, the artist applies a threat as words of the Prophet Muhammad, because they are considered spreading the kufr and apostasy. : Translation: “and from Ibnu Mas‟ud r.a. said: „I heard the Prophet said: indeed, those most severe torment on the Day of Judgment is a painter”. (H.R. Bukhara and Muslim) According to Yusuf Qardhawi revealed from Imam Thabari (224-310 H) that the meaning of the hadith is the people who drawing something to be worshiped except Allah, while he knew and purposely. Then this person has kufur. But, if it has no such intention then he classified as a sinner because drawing only”.7 Meanwhile, people who paint with the aim to match the God‟s creation, that is, he assumes that he is capable of making and creating the latest models such as the creation of God. Then he is deemed to have come out of the monotheism religion. Then apply the following threats: 6 Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, The Cultural Side of Islam (Islamic Culture), (New Dehli: Kitab Bhavan, 1981), p. 73. 7 Syech Muhammad Yusuf Qardhawi, Halal dan Haram dalam Islam, translator; Mu‟ammal Hamidy (Surabaya: PT. Bina Ilmu, 1980), p. 142. 77 Translation: “indeed, those most severe torment on the Day of Judgment is people who emulate God‟s creation”.(H.